Monday, September 11, 2006

Washington Post Brian McLaren Article

I found this one great article (thanks to Jason Clark) in which some of the “questions” of where Brian stands on some “issues” such as abortion and homosexuality.

These are the key quotes:

"I don't see the issue of homosexuality as the simple black-and-white issue that some of my fellow evangelicals make it out to be," said McLaren, who last year was named by Time magazine among the "25 most influential evangelicals in America."“And while not happy about widespread abortions, he added, "to just say 'Okay, let's pass laws about it' seems to me to skip a number of important steps, like honest and open dialogue, persuasion and seeking to remove the conditions that make abortion so prevalent."

For some of you this will seem like he is admitting he is for abortion or homosexuality… yet if you really read it and try to understand, he is calling for people to look deeper into the issues and seek communication. In that is the hope to learn and grow… to allow people to change their thinking through dialog and persuade them toward Godliness. This is hard and will take more commitment than just passing a law…In a way to just pass a law is lazy and cuts across what Jesus started, reconciliation. To cut off communication, to just call someone a sinner and to repent, is lazy. It is not building relationship as Jesus showed by His example.

It is easier to have an enemy to unite a group of people against, than to seek to bring in you enemy in peace to see things your way. Again, people will be quick to just judge this statement as Brian is pro homosexuality or abortion… you will be wrong. The conversation is about real genuine growth and change. It is not about superficial restraints or laws that really change nothing.

Which is better to outlaw homosexuals and condemn them keeping them even further from redemption, or to seek a way to communicate to them that God loves them, and to seek His Ways by His Spirit? Which will have an eternal effect? If we pass laws that outlaw abortions will they just all stop? To think that is naive and rather stupid. Yet, to reach people, especially young people about purity in Christ and having them seek Christ in an authentic relational way; will have, as I said before, eternal effects. Often when we preach a homogenized watered down Jesus ala the “White-middle classed-Republican Jesus” we are making Jesus into our image… and creating God in our image… and that is a form of idolatry.

We need to dig deeper… for purity, seeking the best for people…God’s best… not just being lazy and spreading condemnation, judgment and hate.